Jude from New Zealand shows some homeland pride by selecting the incendiary Kiwi film from 1994, “Once Were Warriors”, for her commissioned podcast pick. Directed by Lee Tamahori and starring Temuera Morrison and Rena Owen, it features a soul destroying portrait of life for a Maori family living in the slums of Auckland. The picture pulls no punches, and yet manages to be thought provoking, sympathetic, and even uplifting and hopeful, assuming you calibrate your definition of “uplifting” and “hopeful” to David “The Wire” Simon settings. We simply are blown away by the performances of everyone in this film, particularly Morrison who plays the extremely charismatic, extremely violent Jake “the Muss”, and are intrigued by the examination of domestic violence, crime, and racial issues as seen through the very distinct lens of New Zealand.
An excellent choice, that I am glad I got to see. Good luck finding a copy of the film unfortunately. It’s out of print and not streaming anywhere we could find in the States, although I’m sure an enterprising individual can find a copy here and there. Also I’m told it’s currently streaming on Australian Netflix. Thanks again Jude, we’re glad for your support. If you’d like to find out how you can commission your very own podcast, stop by our Shop to consider your options.
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